In this world filled with all kinds of crazies, you worked diligently to find your children their very own Mary Poppins who will take loving care of them while you’re away at work. You do all the right things: you get referrals from friends and nanny services, you interview and you vet until finally you find her … that perfect, reliable nanny who grows to love your small child and helps a tad around the house.

Life is beautiful until…she’s poached. Poached by a neighborhood nanny vulture who is too lazy to do her own babysitter vetting but perceptive enough to notice the peaceful synergy your nanny brings to your home life. With the lure of a little more money and a little more paid time off, your trusted nanny is convinced to fly the coup.

Finding the perfect jeans to fit and flatter has never been an easy task, however it seems to get monumentally harder after entering Mommydom. From grappling with body shape changes to general weight gain to diminished time, energy, and money to devote to the sassy jean cause, shopping for a new pair can be a real chore. These constraints coupled with a perplexing myriad jean cuts, styles, rises, and rinses, it’s really no wonder moms throw up their hands and go baggy. However, throwing on a pair of mom jeans can be the first step down a slippery fashion slope leading to the acquiescence of other mom-ish looks such as white trainers, fanny packs, polos, leatherette handbags, thin braided leather belts, and alma mater sweatshirts. With a bit of effort and styling know-how this downward spiral can easily be prevented.

The first important step is to recognize if you have succumbed to mom jeans. This is done by perusing your closet and looking for the following combination of denim styling.

Wide, small back pockets placed close to side seams (flattens and lengthens rump)

Even if you happen to own a few pairs of mom jeans have faith, it’s not too late. You can still recover your sassafras from under all that denim if you act quickly. Follow the guidelines laid out below and get ready to take your look from mom-ish to mom-dish.

Carve-out some time to shop. Devote a few hours to simply looking for sassy jeans. This may seem like a luxury but for as many hours you spend wearing jeans, a few hours consumed on finding the perfect pair is well worth it.

Try everything on. Laborious as it may be, this process opens you up to new styles and cuts that may surprisingly flatter.

Bring an honest friend along. Anyone who is candid enough to tell you that your booty looks big in a pair of pants is a true friend. Don’t rely on a commission-based sales person to give you the honest scoop.

Become a brand loyalist. Get familiar with the brand(s) that look best on you. Always shop those brands first.
Buy two. If you like the way a pair fits, why not buy two? Diversify your identical jeans by color for greater wardrobe versatility.

Spend-up. Don’t fret about spending-up for a great pair of jeans. Jeans are a smart investment as their cost per use is minuscule.

Find mom-dish jeans. A combination of universally flattering attributes in a single pair of jeans can work wonders. Brands that tend to have these combinations include J Brand, JOE’S and Lucky. Those attributes are: